Heel bone traction splint



March 30, 1948. E. HANSBERRY HEEL BONE TRACTION SPLII IT Filed Feb. 4, 1946 IN V EN TOR. Z 4 0Y0 E ffo/vsazeey G 7 751i. a m

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m 0 w A 0 WZZZZW'Z W ATHENA-X5 Patented Mar. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEEL BONE TRACTION SPLINT Lloyd E. Hansberry, San Francisco, Calif. Application February 4, 1946, Serial No. 645,343

3 Claims.

' 1 This invention relates to heel bone traction splints and has for its object the provision of a splint of this character designed to be incorporated in the leg cast of a patient with no portion thereof extending below the heel of the patient and so constructed that compensation can be" made for any misalignment of the hole drilled in the heel for the reception of the heel bone pin.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the present specification is outlined in full. In said drawing one form of the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a heel bone traction splint embodying the objects of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical midsection taken through one of the springloaded longitudinally adjustable heel bone pin carriers shown in Fig. 1.

The traction splint shown in these two figures includes a pair of opposed and identical metal straps I and 2 fashioned to conform generally to the contour of the lower leg. Securing the straps I and 2 in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other are a pair of resilient outwardly arched connecting members 3 and 4 designed to straddle the shin bone of the lower leg and preferably made of spring steel. Pivoted to the lower end of each of the straps I and 2 by a bolt 5 is a strap extension 6 formed at its lower end with an elongated open ended slot 7. Threaded to each of the bolts 5 is a nut 8 by which the strap extension can be locked to its associated strap in any selected angular position with respect thereto. Formed integral with each of the extensions 6 is an outwardly extending bracket 9, and secured to each of these brackets is a guide rod II extending downwardly in parallelism with its associated strap extension 6. Telescopically or slideably disposed over each of the guide rods II is a sleeve I2, formed at its lower end with a head I3 provided with wrench faces I4. Surrounding each of the guide rods II and its associated sleeve I2 and disposed between the bracket 9 and the upper face of the head I3 is a spring I5 arranged to urge the sleeve I2 and its head l3 downwardly. Threaded to each of the heads I3 coaxially with the sleeve I2 is an adjusting screw I6, the head I! of which is formed with a longitudinal slot I8 in alignment with the slots I for the reception of a heel bone pin I9. Threaded to the head I! of each of the adjusting screws I6 is a transverse set screw 20 formed with a tapered end 2| and by which the heel bone pin I9 can be secured to the adjusting screw I6. Indicated on the outer face of each of the straps 6 is a pressure scale 22 preferably expressed in units of pounds. The zero line of the scale 22 should be so positioned that it is in alignment with the upper face 23 of the head I3 when the face 23 is just in engagement with the spring I5 and the spring I5 is in its relaxed condition.

In the use of a device of the character above described a transverse hole is first drilled in the heel bone of the patient for the reception of the heel bone pin I9. The straps I and 2 are then embedded in a cast formed about the lower le with the connecting members 3 and 4 disposed over the shin bone with the strap extensions 6 protruding from the cast and with the slots 1 of the strap extensions straddling the heel bone pin I9. The strap extensions 6 are then locked to the straps I and 2 by the nuts 8. This having been done, the heads I3 are advanced upwardly or downwardly with respect to the screws I6 so that the upper faces 23 of each of the heads I3 are in transverse alignment with the zero line of the scale 22 and the closed ends of the slots I8 are just in contact with the heel bone pin I9. As so set there is no pressure on the heel bone pin. The heads I3 can then be rotated to run the screws I6 downwardly so as to produce any de-' sired pressure on the heel bone pin I9.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an articulated heel bone traction splint readily adjustable to compensate for any inaccuracies in drilling the hole for the heel bone splint and no part of which extends below the patients foot.

I claim:

1. A traction splint of the character described comprising: a pair of generally parallel and opposed straps; a transverse arched member secured at either end to said straps for holding them in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other; strap extensions pivoted to the lower ends of said straps, the lower end of each of said extensions being provided with an, elongated slot; a transverse bracket secured to and extending outwardly from the upper end of each of said extensions; and a spring loaded longitudinally extendable and adjustable heel bone pin carrier mounted on each of said brackets in parallelism with the extension on which said bracket is mounted.

2. A heel bone traction splint of the character described comprising: a pair of generally parallel and opposed straps held in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other by at least one arched connecting member, and arranged to be incorporated in a cast formed about a leg; a strap extension pivoted to the lower end of each of said straps; means for locking each of said extensions in any selected angular position with respect to its associated strap; and a longitudinally extendable spring loaded heel bone pin carrier mounted V on the exterior of each of said extensions and arranegd for longitudinal movement in parallelism therewith. I I

3. A heelbone traction splint of the character 7 a v 4 a 7 arranged to urge its fitting to its extended'position; a heel bone pin carrier mounted on the lower end of each of said fittings and arranged 7 for longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto;

and means for detachaloly vsecuring said pin to each of said carriers. 1

described comprising: a pair of generally parallel straps secured together in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other Icy a transverse, arched and resilient connection-member; a strap extension pivoted to the lower end of each of said straps and arranged to'b'e locked thereto in any predetermined angular position, each of said extensions being formed with a transverse elongated slot for the accommodation of a heel hone pin; abracket mounted on the upperend of each of said extensions and extending outwardly therefrom; 'a downwardly telescopic fitting mounted to each of :said brackets in parallelism with its 'associ'ated strap extensions;

a coil spring surrounding each of said fittings and file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS r,

Number Name Date 1,863,188 C1ash' June 14,1932 2,048,832

7 QT-HER (REFERENCES 7 Depuy Fracture, Book No. :19 (copyright 1943; page 70.

Wiltroutf July 28, 1936 

